Automatically controlled pool table



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AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLED PO OL TABLE Filed Sept. 18, 1955 6 Sheets-Sheet e 1 fivenfmj Charles Wfxensh EA:

Patented Jan. 10, 1939 UNITED STATES 2,lt3,22l

PATENT OFFEQE TABL Charles W. Crenshaw, Jackson, Miss; Cora J. -Crenshaw administratrix of said Charles W.

Crenshaw, deceased Application September 18, 1935, Serial No. 41,086

2 Claims.

This invention relates to pool tables and particularly to pool tables which employ an automatic coin control of the pool balls.

One object of the invention is the attachment of an automatic coin control of the pool balls to any general type of pool table.

Another object of the invention is the employment of an automatic coin control of the pool balls, in which all of the balls used are of the same weight and size.

Another object of the invention is the employment of a ball cabinet which permits visibility of the balls after they have been shot into the pockets of the table, but prevents their removal from the cabinet back to the table.

Still anotherobject of the invention is the employment of an automatic coin control of the pool balls, which permits the re-use of a predetermined number of balls after they have been scratched.

A still further object of the invention is an automatic control of the re-used pool balls shot into the table pockets, and means which prevents the payment of but one coin for a complete set of balls in the playing of a game.

Still further objects and advantages of my invention will appear in the description thereof which follows:

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and its particular advantages fully appreciated, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which I have illustrated one form of embodiment thereof. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the form of construction shown, and that various changes in the details of construction may be made within the scope of the claims, without departing from my invention.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a front view of the device in attachment to a pool table.

Figure 2 is a side view of a pool table, disclosing the under table structure. employed in conjunction with the invention.

Figure 3 is a broken top plan view of the table conduit structure employed,

Figure 4 is a left side view of the mechanism.

Figure 5 is a right side view of the device.

Figure 6 is the same View as Figure 4, with however, portions in cross-section disclosing a left side view of the interior mechanism, with the coin slot pushed in.

Figure 7 is a top view of the device.

Figure 8 is the same view as Figure 5, with however, portions in cross-section disclosing a right View of the lower interior of the mechanism.

Figure 9 is a front view in cross-section of the trigger arm mechanism.

Figure 10 is a top cross-sectional view of the lower half of the device.

Figure 11 is a side view of the trigger arm 45 mechanism.

Figure 12 is a right side detail view, a portion in cross-section of the mechanical structure em- 10 bodied in the invention.

Figure 13 is a top view of the U-shaped carrier mechanism shown in Figure 12.

Figure 14 is a side view of the ratchet gear wheel 5'! mechanism.

Figure 15 is a sectional front view of the front ball channel and foot 5|.

Following the drawings now in detail, Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of the invention at one end of the pool table, the principal embodiment of the invention being contained in the box I, the face thereof as shown in Figure 1, being divided into three distinct sections; the coin control mechanism l-A, to which, in itself no claim is here made, the ball channel lB through which the balls pass from the pool table to within the vision of the players, the outer opening of this channel |B being of a lesser width than the diameter of the pool balls, and the ball channel |-C, which extends below and forward of the channel lB, and from which the pool balls may be taken in the manner hereafter described.

In the employment of this invention any ordinary type of pool table may be used by equipping the table with a series of conduits 2, 3, 4, 6, l, 8, and 9 which extend from the respective pockets of the table to join at a central point 5 below the center of the table surface, and from the central point 5 are connected with the box I by the conduit 9, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. It is to be noted that the respective conduits follow a general slope downward to permit gravitation of the ball through the conduits to the box I.

When a pool hall enters one of the pockets on the table it is carried by gravitation through the respective conduits to the box l, where it enters at the point A, as illustrated in Figure 10. It thence follows the channel IE! forward to the point B where it enters the channel lB, as illustrated in Figure 10, where it becomes visible to the play ers, as illustrated in Figure l.

The course and position of the ball through the channel It is illustrated in Figure 10. It is to be noted that the position of the channel I-B is immediately forward of and extends cross-wise of the channel I0, being joined therewith by an opening. The floor IX of the channel IB is sloped to the left, as shown in Figure 15, and thus the balls which enter the channel IB from the channel It] gravitate to the left side of the box I.

The channel IB is open at the end II, on the right, joining there the passage I2 which extends downward to connect with the right end of the channel IC, as illustrated in Figure 10. It should be noted that the channel structure here described positions the channel IB above and back of the channel IC, as shown in Figure 10. Therefore, with no obstruction in the passage I2, a ball may be pushed from the channel IB to the right through the opening II and thence it will drop through the passage I2 and enter the channel IC, and from this position it might then be removed from the box, as the front of the channel IC is open to the hand.

The channel IB is provided with an opening I3 at the left rear thereof, as illustrated in Figures 9 and 10, which opening l3, without obstruction permits the balls to gravitate from the channel IB to within the chamber I4 being connected therewith by the opening I3, as illustrated in Figure 10.

The floor I5 of the chamber I4 is hinged at the rear thereof at W, as illustrated in Figures 6, 8 and 9, the front of the floor I 5 being immediately behind the channel IC and the entire floor being below the channel l0. Thus, when the front end I5A of the floor I5 is depressed from the position shown in Figure 6 to the position shown in Figure 8, balls which are in the chamber I I, at the points C and D, Figure 10, will roll forward from the chamber I 3 to a position within the channel IC, from which they may be removed, the channel I C having no back thereto and being closed only by the floor I5 being raised The course of a ball after reaching the box from the channel 9 is that it enters the channel It) and thence gravitates forward to the channel IB, where it will naturally gravitate to the left and from thence will pass through the opening I3 into the chamber I4, if the opening I3 is not closed. Normally, however, opening I3 may be closed as hereafter described. With the opening I3 closed, balls arriving in the channel IB will back up until they may be forced through the opening II and into the channel I2 and thence into the channel IC, from which they may be removed. If we depress the floor l5, all of the balls in the chamber I4 will immediately roll forward into the channel IC, however, the floor I5 may only be depressed under conditions hereafter described.

The mechanism which controls the course of the balls through the several channels will now be set forth:

Extending centrally from front to rear of the box I, through the central portion thereof, and well above the floor I5 is the channel I. Disposed in the face of the box I is the coin control mechanism IA, as shown in Figures 4, 5, 6, 8, and 12. The channel In extends from the rear end of the box I to the ball channel IB, previously described, which ball channel IB is disposed below the. coin control mechanism IA.

The coin control mechanism is one already well known in the art, and embodies a coin carriage X with a round hole therein for receipt of the coin. A coin is placed in the hole of the coin carriage X, and the carriage is then pushed inward to a position where the coin may drop from the carriage into the coin receptacle Y. The

rear end of the coin carriage X has hinged there-- to at IS the arm H, which rests alternately on the pin IS in the finger I9 or on the lug 20, which is supported in a fixed position by a portion of the housing of the box I. When the arm I! is drawn completely forward, the rear end I'Ia, thereof is just slightly forward of the lug 20.

The arm I 7 has disposed on the under side thereof a notch 2|, which is adapted to engage with the pin It in the finger I9, when the arm I? has been pushed rearward to a position where the notch 2! is immediately over the pin I8. The upper end of the finger I9 is hinged to the arm 22 at 23, and the arm 22 has disposed thereon a lug 25, which lug 24 is positioned to the left of and slightly above the finger IQ, as most clearly shown in Figure 6. The purpose of the lug 24 is to hold the arm normally in the position. The lower extremity of the arm 22 is affixed to the shaft 25. On engagement of the notch 2I with the pin I8, the coin carriage X is pulled forward, thereby drawing forward the arm I'!, until the rear end Ila thereof has just cleared the end of the lug 20. By this operation, the upper end of the arm 22 has been swung forward thereby rotating forward the shaft 25, and on completion of the forward movement of the arm I1, by its own weight the end IIa falls below the top of the lug 25, thereby preventing the arm I! from again being moved backward until it is raised.

In normal position, the floor I5 of the chamber I 2 rests in a raised position as illustrated in Figure 6. The rear end of the floor I5 is hinged at W, and the front end thereof is supported by the arms 25 and 27, being hinged thereto at 28. The arms 26 and 2'! extend upward, the upper ends thereof being hinged at 29 with the forward ends of the horizontal arms 30 and 3|, which are supported at 32 and 33 on the shaft 25. The rear ends of the arms 35 and 3| have disposed thereon the weights 3 1 and 35 to counterbalance against the forward weight of the floor I5. When the shaft 25 is rotated forward, by movement of the upper end of the arm 22, the arms 30 and 3| are rotated by the shaft 25, the forward ends of the arms 35 and 3| going downward and the rear ends going upward, as illustrated from the position shown in Figure 6 to the position shown in Figure 12. It is seen, therefore, that any balls which might be contained in the compartment I I, on this movement of the compartment floor I5, will naturally gravitate to the front and out of the compartment I4 and into the channel IC, as previously described. It is further seen that due to the locked position of the end I'IA with the lug 25, the floor I 5 cannot now be raised, without first raising the end II-A above the end of the lug 25; and, therefore, until this is done, one may reach back through the channel IC and get out any balls which might possibly be retained within the chamber It. It is also to be noted that until the arm IT has fully carried forward the arm 22, by engagement of the notch 2| with the pin I8, none of the balls in the chamber I4 will be released.

On removal of the balls from the box I they are placed on the table for play. The arm I! continued to hold the floor I5 of the chamber Id downward in the position shown in Figure 12. Disposed on the shaft 25 is the gate 25A supported by the arm 25B, as shown in Figure 8, this gate 25-A closing the forward end of the channel It to the passage of balls, so long as the arm I! remains forward and the floor I5 downward. When the first ball shot on the table, in

the new game, enters a pocket, it is carried as previously described to the position A in the channel It, as shown in Figure 10. The ball on entering the channel iii falls on the trigger 36 positioned at the rear of the channel 15 and hinged at 37, as shown in Figures 8 and 10. The front end of the trigger 35 has extending upward therefrom the link 38, the upper end thereof being hinged to the forward end of the arm 39 at M). The arm 35 is centrally pivoted to the box support ll at 52. A pin 43 extends from the rear of the arm 39 below the arm H, as shown in Figures 4 and 6. On depression of the front end of the trigger 35 by the weight of the ball, the link 35 is pulled downward, thereby pivoting the arm 39 on the pivot 52 and raising the pin 43 to engagement with the under side of the arm ll, thereby raising the end il'-A of the arm i1, and in so doing the notch 2| from. about'the pin 58. On release of the pin l8, the weights 34 and 35 on the arms 35 and 3i pivot the shaft 25 reanward, and in so doing carrying the upper end of the arm 22 to the position shown in Figure 5. On rotation of the shaft 25 as here described, the front ends of the horizontal arms 33 and 3| are raised, thereby lifting the floor I5 to the position shown in Figure 6 from the position shown in Figure 8. The compartment l4 thereby becomes closed, and the only way to re-open it is to rotate the shaft 25 counter forward, and this only can be achieved by engagement of the arm I! with the arm if), as previously described.

On revolution of the shaft 25 forward, the gate 25A is simultaneously raised out-of the channel iii, thereby permitting passage of the balls through this channel and into the channel i-B.

A rack bar 4 is provided just below the finger iii, the lower end of the finger i9 normally engaging with the teeth of the rack bar M as shown in Figures 5 and 12. Thus it is impossible to move forward the arm 22 to which the finger I9 is hinged, without raising the lower end of the finger i9. This raising of the finger I9 is performed by engagement of the notch 2i in the arm i? with the pin l8 and pulling forward the arm El, thereby lifting the lower end of the finger is away from its engagement with the teeth of the rack bar 44. Until, therefore, the arm if can be pulled forward, the floor i5 cannot again be lowered.

Referring now to the passage of the ball through the channel i6, it enters the channel l-B through the opening !5A, passing over the trigger-armv 45, as shown in Figure 7. The trigger-arm 45 is pivoted at 46 and extends lengthwise across the opening i3 which connects the channel I-B with the chamber M. The normal position of the trigger-arrn 45 is that shown in Figure 9, the left end thereof forming a gate in the opening 23, at the left end of the channel iB. By pressing downward on the right end of the trigger-arm 45 the left end is raised and the obstruction to the opening i3 is removed. Normally, the trigger arm '55 is main tained in the position shown in Figure 9 by the latch 41 pivoted at 55 to the side of the opening iiiA, the latch 47 having provided in the lower end thereof a key 49 adapted to fit about the trigger-arm 45. The lower end 56 of the latch i? is beveled inwardly to a point as shown in Figure 11. A foot 5i is pivoted at 52 to the side of the opening i5--A, and the inner extenuation of the foot 5! has extending therefrom a pin 53 which rests against the beveled end of the latch 41. On depression of the outer end of the foot 5| the pin 53 bears against the lower end of the latch 41, thereby freeing the triggerarm. 45 from the key 49. The foot 5| extends well into the channel |--B, and is spaced from the left wall of the box I so that the third ball from the left end of the box I in the channel IB will rest on it, thereby causing the latch 41 to release the trigger-arm 45, and thus with three balls in the channel l-B, a fourth ball passing from the channel it through the opening IGA will press downward the right end of the triggerarm 45, raise the left end thereof, and permit the ball on the left end of the channel IB to pass from the channel |-B through the opening l3 into the compartment M. In this way the total number of balls maintained in the channel IB cannot at any time exceed the number of three.

The description already given discloses how a ball played on the table passes into the channel l-B and from thence into the compartment M, from which it is finally discharged into the channel l-C. In playing a game of pool there are ordinarily a number of "scratch balls, including the cue ball, which will find their way into the channel |B, and for playing a regular game of pool it is necessary that these scratch balls be returned to the table for re-play. With this essential to the game in view, this invention embodies an additional feature, which will permit the return to the table of a predetermined number of scratch balls. The particular mechanism which governs this feature of the invention is illustrated particularly in Figure 12 of the drawings.

Disposed on the lower right hand side of the box i is the arm 54 pivoted on the shaft 55. Afiixed the outer side of the arm 54, with the shaft 55 passing therethrough is a ratchet gear '51, of ordinary construction. A pin 58 is set in the housing 55 of the ratchet gear 51, to control the number of spacings allowed the ratchet gear. The normal spring pull on the ratchet gear 51 is to the left; and to revolve the ratchet gear 51' to the right, there is disposed on the arm 5d a finger 55 on a swivel pin 65. On raising the right end of the arm 54, the finger 59 is raised from between the teeth of the ratchet gear 51, and on lowering the right end of the arm 54, the prong 59--A of the finger 59 is brought back into engagem-ent with the teeth of the ratchet gear 51, and thereby the ratchetgear 51 is caused to revolve to the right.

It will be seen that on raising the arm 54 and disengagement of the finger 59 with the ratchet gear 51, normally the ratchet gear 51 would revolve back to the left. Therefore, to retain the ratchet gear 5! in the position previously given it by the finger 55, there is disposed above the ratchet gear 51 a second finger 6| on a swivel pin 52 extending from the side of the box i, as previously disclosed. The finger 6! having a straight left side, theratchet gear 5'! may be revolved to the right; however, on release of the ratchet gear 57 by the finger 59, the ratchet gear 51 is prevented from. revolving back to the left, is its natural tendency, by engagement with the finger 6|, between the teeth of the ratchet gear 51. It is to be noted that the prong of the finger 6| is curved downward to the right of the swivel pin 52, and thereby it prevents any revolution of the ratchet gear 51 to the left, as long as it is in engagement therewith.

The left end of the arm 54 has disposed thereon a U-shaped carrier 64, and extending upward revolution of the ratchet gear 51.

from the upper prong of the U, on the left side thereof, is an arm 65. The right end of the arm 54 has adjusted thereon a counterweight 65, to counterbalance against the weight of the U- shaped carrier E i. The U-shaped carrier 54 travels vertically through the passage !2 which connects the channel l--B with the channel l-C, at the right side of the box I, as previously described.

A ball in the channel l-B may be pushed to the right, and when the U-shaped carrier 64 is in a raised position as shown in Figure 12, the ball will enter the U-shaped carrier 64, and the weight of the ball will cause the U-shaped carrier 64 to lower, thereby permitting the ball to be carried from the channel lB to the channel l-C, from which it may then be removed by hand. When the ball leaves the U-shaped carrier 54 to enter the channel iC, the counterweight 55 on the arm 54 will raise the U-shaped carrier 54 back from the position shown by the dotted lines to its normal position as shown in Figure 12. In this manner the scratch balls may be removed from the channel l-C and be replayed on the table.

It is further seen by the employement of the ratchet gear 51, previously described, the ratchet gear 's is caused to revolve to the right for a predetermined distance on the lowering and raising of the arm 5 which carries the U-shaped carrier 64; and that after the said U-shaped carrier Ed has been raised and lowered a predetermined number of times, the ratchet gear 5'! will stop the further movement of the arm 5 up and down, thereby preventing any more balls from being removed from the channel lB to the channel i--C; therefore, only a predetermined number of scratch balls are made available to the player. The manner in which the ratchet gear operates is as follows:

A pin 57 A is disposed at a predetermined position on the outer side of the ratchet gear 5?, as illustrated in Figures 12 and 13. The ratchet gear 5'17 has a hollow interior E'i-C. Disposed at a predetermined point on the interior 5'i-C 1s a pin 5L-D; and disposed on the inner side of the housing 56 at a predetermined position is the pin 5fi-A. A coil spring 9% is disposed within the interior Fri-C of the housing 5?, the outer end thereof connected with the pin 5TD and the inner end thereof connected with the pin Eli-A. The housing 56 is held in a rigid position by the nut id-A on the shaft 55, while the ratchet gear 5? revolves on the shaft 55; thus, by tension of the spring 98 the pin 5lA of the ratchet bar 5? normally rests against the pin 58 on the housing 55. The ratchet gear 57 is revolved to the right and held in predetermined position on revolution by the fingers 59 and ti, as heretofore described. The ratchet gear 51 has disposed on the inner side thereof the pin 9!, and rigidly extending from the housing I to proximity of the inner side of the ratchet gear 5'! is the pin 92, the pin 9! adapted to meet with the pin 92 on Thus, it is seen that the ratchet gear 57 may be revolved to the right for a predetermined distance when further revolution will be stopped by engagement of the pin 9i with the pin 92, at which time the arm 54 becomes locked and cannot further travel up and down in its course as heretofore described.

To release the arm 54 after it has been locked by position of the ratchet gear 57, it is necessary to release the ratchet gear. A trigger arm 6'! with prongs 68 and 69 at the lower end engages respectively with pins 6IA of the finger BI and 59B of the finger 59. A spring H1 normally retains the trigger arm 61 in the position shown in Figure 12. An L-shaped finger 'l I, seen in Figure 12, is positioned to the right and slightly above the upper end of the trigger arm 61. The trigger arm 61 is attached to the left side of the box I by the swivel pin 13. A pin 3lJ--A is positioned on the arm 30, just above the right extension of the L-shaped finger H. When the arm 38 is lowered, the pin 39A bears against the right extension of the L-shaped finger H, causing the lower extension of the finger "H to bear against the pin 74 in the trigger arm 61, thereby causing the prongs 68 and 69 to bear on the pins A and 59B, thereby disengaging the respective fingers 6i and 59 from the teeth of the ratchet wheel 5?, and permitting the wheel 5'! torevolve to the left back to its normal position, as maintained prior to being revolved to the right by engagement with the finger 59. Thus when the balls are removed from the compartment M, as previously described, and a new game commenced, when the first ball enters the box I, it raises the floor 15, and through the inter-coordinating elements of the device, previously described, sets the U-shaped carrier 64 with its ratchet control 56. Thereafter a predetermined number of scratch balls may be removed from the channel lB by means of the U-shaped carrier (iii, after which no further balls may be removed until a new game is commenced.

It is of course understood that while I have here employed the use of a particular coin control, that this invention is in no wise limited to that particular device, it being only one means of controlling the arm IT.

The construction, operation and advantages of my invention will, it is believed, be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art when the foregoing description has been read in connection with the accompanying drawings. The degree of adjustment of the several members in relation to each other is such, as to take care of any requirements; and while I have here shown and described and pointed out certain novel features of my invention, it is to be understood that various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device and its manner of operation may be made by those skilled in the art, and that I do not wish to be restricted to the precise structure disclosed, but hold myself entitled to make such changes therefrom as fairly fall within the scope of what I claim.

I claim:

1. A ball container having disposed centrally therethrough a channel, and two channels one disposed above the other, the top channel connecting with the central channel, and disposed below the central channel a ball compartment, a hinged bottom to said compartment the open end thereof adjacent the back side of the bottom channel, means adapted to raise and lower the compartment bottom, responsive to the movement of a horizontal trigger a means disposed adjacent the central channel, disposed in the rear end of the central channel. a means responsive to the weight of a ball and adapted to release the horizontal trigger from a pre-attained position, substantially as described.

2. A ball container comprising a ball compartment a ball channel disposed in said container forward of the compartment and connecting with the compartment; a secondary ball channel disposed above the first ball channel and connecting with a third ball channel, the first and second channels connecting one with the other by means of a passageway, and means disposed within said passageway adapted to carry a ball from the upper to the lower channel, an opening from the top channel to the ball compartment, means disposed across said opening and in the juncture of the second ball chan- 10 nel with the third ball channel adapted to nor mally close the opening from the second ball channel. to the ball compartment, means responsive to pressure of a ball to raise the closing means of the opening between the second ball channel and the ball compartment, and a secondary means, adapted to normally look the closing means of the ball channel opening, substantially as described. 

